The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1887-12-07

, | ANP1SSCAO UllS LlCESttScu price Ol Ill
wool of 25 sheep and thirty-six dol
lars that from the wool Of so sheep
and at present value this addition
would amount to about one-third it
price. If upon its sale the farme
received this or less tariff profit thu
wool would leave his hands charged
with precisely that sum which in al
Its changes will adhere to it until i
reaches the consumer. When MANI
factured into cloth and other materia
for use its cost is not only increased
to the extent of the farmers tariff
profit but a further sum has beer
added for the benefit of the manufac.
turer under the operation Of other
tariff laws. In the meantime the day
arrives when the farmer fluids he :
essa Y to purchase wooden clothes and
material to clOthe himself and family
for the winter. When he faces the
trad sman for that purpose he discov-
erS that he is obliged not only to re
turn in the way of increased prices
his tariff profit ON the wool he sold,
and which then lies before him in
manufactured form, but that he must
add considerable sum thereto to
meet further increase in cost caused
by tariff duty on the manufacture.
Thus in the end he is aroused to
the fact that he his paid upon mod
! crate purchase as + suit of the tar
if scheme which when he sold his wool
seemed so profitable an increase in
price more than sufficient to sweep
away all the tariff profit he received
upon the wool he produced and sold.
When the number Of farmers engag-
ed in wool raising, is compared with
all the farmers in the country and the
small proportion they bear to our
population is considered, when it is
made apparant that in the case o. a
large part Of those who own sheep the
benefit of the present tariff on wool
| is illusory, and above all when it
must be conceded that the increase of
the cost of living caused by such tar
If bear the burden upon those with
moderate means and the poor, the
employed and the unemployed, the
sick and the well, The young and the
old, and that it constitutes tax which
with relentless grasp is fastened upon
the clothing Of every man, woman and
child in the land, reasons are suggest
ed why the renewal or reduction of
this duty should be included IN q re-
vision of our tariff laws. In speaking
of the increas cost to the consumer
Of our home manufactures resulting
from duty laid upon imported ar
ticles Of the same description the fact
is not overlooked that competiti n
among our domestic producers some
times has thhe effect of keeping the
price of their products below the high
est limit allowed by such duty. But
it is notorious that: this competition
is too strongly exemplified by combi-
nations quite prevalent at this time,
and frequent y called "trusts," which
have for their obj ct tue re. .ulation of
the supply and price Of the rommodi-
ties made and sold by members of the
combinations. The people can hardly
hope for any consideration in the op-
Grafton of these selfish schemes. If,
however, in the alb ence of such com
bination a healthy and free compen-
sation raises the price of any parti u
lar dutiable article Of home produc-
ton below the limit which it might
otherwise reach under our tariff laws
and if with such reduced price its
manufacture continues to thrive, it is
entirely evident that one thing has
been discovered which should be fully
scrutinized in an effort to reduce tax
alton The necessity of combination
to N intain and fore the commodity
to the tariff point furnishes proof that
some one is bound to accept lower
prices for such commodity, and that
prices are remunerative at lower
prices produced by a number of COM
panies prove the same thing. Thus
there are those conditions which
would seem to be presented for an
easy reduction of taxation. The c,n-
siderations which have been presented
touching our tariff laws are intended
only to enforce an earnest commend
alton that the surplus revenues Of the
government be prevented by the re-
duction of our customs duties and at
the same time to emphasize q sugges-
ton that in accomplishing this pur-
pose we may discharge Il double duty
to our people by granting to them a
measure of relief from tariff taxation
in quarters where it is most needed
and from sources where it can be more
fairly and justly accorded. Nor can
the presentation made of such consid
Grafton be with any degree of fairness
regarded as evidence of unfriendli-
ness toward any manufacturers inter-
terests or of any lack Of appreciation
of the value Of imports. These inter-
es constitute leading and most sub
stantial element of our national great
ness, and furnish the proud proof of
our csntury's progress; but if in the
emergency that presses upon us our
manufacturers are asked 10 surrender
something tor the public good, and
to avert disaster, their patriotism as a
grateful recognition of the advant-
ages already afforded should lead
them to willing cooperation. No
demand is made that they shall forego
all the benefits of governmental re-
gard. But they cannot fail to be
admonished of their duty as we'll as
their enlightened self-interest and
safety when they are reminded of the
fact that financial panic and collapse,
to which the present condition tends,